U.K. Digital Minister Matt Hancock proposed new measures Monday that would force social media companies like Facebook to delete personal information upon request.
Known as “the right to be forgotten,” the law would get rid of the usual terms and conditions agreements, which typically are lengthy, written in esoteric legalese, and already have tick boxes selected, according to Reuters. Instead, platforms would have to ask for explicit permission before collecting personal data.
The mandate would align the U.K.’s regulatory framework with the European Union’s, specifically its general data protection regulation (GDPR). Although the U.K. voted to leave the EU in a referendum last year, it will likely have to abide by GDPR, even after the projected date for the official exit in 2019. Facebook says they have been preparing for the full-scale implementation of GDPR, which is set for May 2018, so they can completely comply, by recruiting a data protection officer and studying the details of the prospective statute.
“The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world,” Hancock said, according to Reuters. “It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use and prepare Britain for Brexit.”
If enacted, it would also classify internet protocol (IP) addresses, DNA, and cookies (data sent back and forth between an internet server and a web browsing platform), as personal information.
Facebook declined to provide on-the-record comment to The Daily Caller News Foundation after inquiry.
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